SpendingDepartmentsCultural Affairs
What does the Department of Cultural Affairs cost?
In FY2025-26, the most recent complete fiscal year, the City Controller's records show $52.5M spent from this budget, against a final budget of $70.7M (adopted at $59.0M). The adopted budget for FY2026-27 is $53.1M.
Budget and spending by year
What the City adopted for the department each fiscal year, the budget after changes made during the year, and what it spent. Fiscal years run July to June.
| Fiscal year | Value |
|---|---|
| FY2016-17 | $30.7M |
| FY2017-18 | $35.3M |
| FY2018-19 | $39.6M |
| FY2019-20 | $42.2M |
| FY2020-21 | $36.9M |
| FY2021-22 | $30.5M |
| FY2022-23 | $37.1M |
| FY2023-24 | $46.8M |
| FY2024-25 | $50.5M |
| FY2025-26 | $52.5M |
Spent, complete fiscal years only.
| Fiscal year | Adopted | Final budget | Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026-27in progress | $53.1M | — | — |
| FY2025-26 | $59.0M | $70.7M | $52.5M |
| FY2024-25 | $54.2M | $64.5M | $50.5M |
| FY2023-24 | $55.3M | $71.1M | $46.8M |
| FY2022-23 | $44.4M | $59.6M | $37.1M |
| FY2021-22 | $48.4M | $49.2M | $30.5M |
| FY2020-21 | $48.4M | $50.7M | $36.9M |
| FY2019-20 | $51.2M | $53.7M | $42.2M |
| FY2018-19 | $48.8M | $55.1M | $39.6M |
| FY2017-18 | $38.9M | $42.9M | $35.3M |
| FY2016-17 | $35.0M | $35.0M | $30.7M |
| FY2015-16 | $31.0M | $32.6M | $29.6M |
| FY2014-15 | $27.6M | $27.3M | $24.8M |
| FY2013-14 | $24.5M | $25.3M | $23.8M |
| FY2012-13 | $21.5M | $23.2M | $22.4M |
| FY2011-12 | $19.7M | $20.6M | $19.4M |
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“Adopted” is the budget as first adopted; “final budget” adds the changes and transfers made during the year, such as grants received; “spent” is actual expense recorded against that year's budget. All funds, as the Controller's budget data files them under this department. Most employee benefits, pension contributions and liability payouts are budgeted in citywide accounts outside any department (see non-departmental accounts), and some special-fund work for departments is budgeted there too, so they are not included. The year in progress shows only its adopted budget.
People and pay
Pay year 2025, the most recent complete calendar year in the Controller's payroll data, with 2024 for comparison.
| Measure | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time employees with active status | 74 | 71 |
| Everyone paid during the year | 267 | 336 |
| Total pay | $10.2M | $11.4M |
| Overtime pay | $17.6K | $22.2K |
| Pay per full-time employee | $92,952 | $102,646 |
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“Full-time employees with active status” counts distinct people whose full-time job was active when the Controller extracted the data, the measure the payroll page uses. “Everyone paid” also counts part-time, seasonal and per-event workers and people who left during the year. Total and overtime pay cover everyone paid. “Pay per full-time employee” is those employees' total pay divided by their number. Pay excludes the City's pension and benefit contributions.
Payments to outside vendors
Payments the department made to outside vendors for goods and services, from the Controller's checkbook. Spelling variants of one firm are combined. FY2026-27 is a partial year, through Sep 9, 2026, and is compared with the same point of FY2025-26.
Largest payees, FY2025-26
| Payee | Paid |
|---|---|
| Further Projects Inc | $864.2K |
| California Institute of the Arts | $560.0K |
| 18TH Street Arts Complex | $339.9K |
| Carlos Guaico | $279.3K |
| EL Centro DEL Pueblo | $222.9K |
| Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management | $198.6K |
| Andrea Jill Miller | $179.5K |
| Marcia W. Harris | $176.9K |
| Asya Shein | $166.3K |
| Valley Cultural Center | $156.9K |
| Beltran Rents and Sales Inc | $142.8K |
| DAN Schartoff | $126.0K |
| RUM & Humble, Inc. | $120.5K |
| Friends of Watts Towers Arts Center | $110.0K |
| Just Like Media LLC | $85.0K |
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Largest payees so far in FY2026-27
| Payee | To Sep 9 | Same point FY2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Valley Cultural Center | $136.5K | $75.6K |
| RY Rocklen | $76.5K | $0 |
| Marcia W. Harris | $64.8K | $0 |
| Insight Public Sector Inc | $35.0K | $451.0 |
| Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Foundation | $32.5K | $0 |
| The Urbane Artist LLC | $31.5K | $0 |
| Everybody Dance LA | $27.3K | $0 |
| The Kcrw Foundation, Inc. | $25.8K | $21.5K |
| Cornerstone Theater Company Inc | $24.8K | $0 |
| The Neighborhood Music School Association /C | $24.1K | $25.1K |
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By fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Paid | Payees |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025-26 | $9.5M | 468 |
| FY2024-25 | $8.7M | 487 |
| FY2023-24 | $10.3M | 494 |
| FY2022-23 | $10.0M | 473 |
| FY2021-22 | $6.2M | 456 |
| FY2020-21 | $8.2M | 487 |
| FY2019-20 | $11.4M | 613 |
| FY2018-19 | $7.4M | 577 |
| FY2017-18 | $7.9M | 529 |
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Outside vendors means payments for goods and services from the City's governmental funds, leaving out payroll, benefits, debt, taxes, transfers to other governments and employee benefit insurers (the same scope as the checkbook page). Complete fiscal years only in the yearly table. Names link to a payee's page where one exists; people paid only lawsuit or claim settlements have no page. Every payment is in the payment register.
More about the Department of Cultural Affairs
- Every checkbook payment by the department (the payment register, filtered)
- Search the site for DCA
- All City departments